The Mathews County Board of Supervisors held a second public hearing Tuesday for the proposal after numerous residents expressed disapproval of the original draft last month.

"The revised ordinance meets the minimum requirements and nothing more," building official Jamie Wilks told the board before the hearing.

Wilks said the county's current ordinance was "unusable." He said the county used a model ordinance from the commonwealth and adapted it to Mathews.

He said state officials had reviewed the revision and assured the county that it would be approved by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The update to the county's ordinance is mandated by FEMA to incorporate the agency's new flood zone maps, which go into effect in December. The maps are available online and at the county's building department. Zoning changes were the only necessary requirement.

The impacts of the updated flood maps vary property by property. The maps include a larger portion of the county in a flood zone in addition to new Coastal A zones and an updated VE or Coastal High Hazard Zone — which takes up most of the coastal border of the entire county. The requirements of the county's flood ordinance affect new construction, additions and repairs to damaged homes in those zones.

Several residents spoke Tuesday supporting the minimum requirements in the ordinance and told the board they understood the FEMA mandate had to be met.

"I am pleased that the collective wisdom had the good sense not to do anymore damage to us than FEMA would," resident Michael Lowe told the board.

However, several expressed their displeasure with the federal government "asserting their will over the people of Mathews County."

"That's something we all have to write our Congressman about," said resident Robert Peterson.

Resident Robert Dobson told the board he was concerned that the ordinance only names one person, Wilks, as the flood administrator. Peterson agreed, suggesting the county hire a separate administrator or move the responsibility to the zoning department or a panel.

The ordinance presented to residents on Sept. 23 included a 1-foot freeboard, which would require residents in certain flood zones to build a foundation 12 inches higher than what is required by FEMA.

In addition to the freeboard requirement, the county also proposed that all construction in the new Coastal A zones meet the same requirements as the VE or Coastal High Hazard Zone.

Those provisions, in addition to errors and irrelevant clauses, were removed in the revision, which passed 5-0.

However, Supervisor Janine Burns said there was still more work to be done to clean up the ordinance. Board members agreed to revisit the document to make the changes after it was approved by FEMA.

"This is a good ordinance in terms of what is threatening you, the citizens, in your homeowners insurance and your flood insurance," said Supervisor Jack White. "It is the best that could be done. We've already done an edit and corrected it. It just wasn't time to get in. This board is determined to get it right and we will get it right and I hope you will be paying attention."